OG Venice Travel Guide is delighted to host this article on behalf of Foody, a local startup founded by a small team of young Italian entrepreneurs who have created a platform, www.foodyexperience.com, that allows both Italian and foreign travelers to experience local culture through eating local foods and getting to know the cooks who prepare it. We're not sure what we love more about this... Is it the concept of the fun and authentic interaction that travelers can have with locals over a plate of local food? Is it that we're so excited to support these local entrepreneurs with their mission to connect travelers with positive experiences of Venice? Are we just hungry and thirsty? Either way, OG Venice wishes all the best of Elena and Michele and looks forward to many many more Foody Experiences!

This is the story of a Foody Experience in Venice:

On 16th of May two Venetian cooks, Cecilia and Daniela opened the doors of their lovely house in Rialto, at the centre of the living room was a big table full of ingredients for cicchetti - Venetian tapas. A group of 16 Americans from the State of Iowa were invited in to learn about, prepare and eat local Venetian food together with these two Venetian foodies.

Cecilia and Daniela first explained the origin of bacari, traditional Venetian wine bars, the name of which translates into “house of bacchus”, (Bacchus being, of course, the Roman God of wine). Bacari are small, dimly lit taverns, cicchetti and other traditional drinks and snacks of Venice. Cicchetti are often accompanied by an "obmra", which translates to English as "shade". An Ombra is a small glass of wine and is called a "shade" by Venetians because they were originally sold by itinerant traders, who followed the shadow of Saint Mark’s bell tower in order to keep the wine cool.

Venice, a magical city full of history and heritage, has so many customs linked to food. And one of the best ways to discover Venice is to live and eat as a local person.

The local ingredients chosen by Cecilia and Daniela for their guests' foody experienice in Venice were top quality, delicious and very representative of traditional Venetian food: baccalà mantecato (creamed cod), dried tomatoes, robiola (cheese), eggs, herring, soppressa (salami). And, as one of the cooks is also a sommelier, their guests also enjoyed a few ombri with their cicchetti!

This experience was organized by Foody, the platform that gives travelers the opportunity to eat local food with local people. Foody provides travelers with a fabulous experience of culture through enjoying local foods in familiar and warm atmospheres. Our 16 American guests were really impressed by the taste of the food, all the things that they learned about Venice, and the warmth of their hostesses.

This is the Story of How Foody Came to Be:

Foody was co-founded by Elena and Michele, two Italian entrepreneurs who met in Milan. The great idea for Foody came about, as many great ideas do, during a conversation over a plate of pasta. The founders wanted to create something that gave people the opportunity of discover and taste the traditional dishes from the different regions of Italy.

Foody aims to lead travelers, Italian or foreign, on a gastronomic journey through Italy starting with the food on the table and the stories told by the cooks themselves. That is why Elena and Michele advise travelers to, " Eat local with locals": To understand the soul of a city you must always start from the food and from the table .

Coming Up With Foody: The Prosecco Experience!

We are in the Country of Prosecco; Also known as the "Prosecco Road"

Through the Veneto, runs a 120 km road lined with beautiful vineyards. It starts from the Conegliano Castle and runs to to Valdobbiadene.

Here is an opportunity to have a great food & wine experience!

During the Prosecco Experience you will have:

A Vineyard Tour

A taste of 5 different types DOCG Prosecco accompanied by delicious Cicchetti

All these things within a beautiful wine company in the hills of Vittorio Veneto - Treviso

Start: from 5 pm

Saturday, July 23rd

Prize: 25,00€ per person

Book: info@foodyexperience.com

If you also have the passion for local food and would like to arrange a Foody Experience similar to the cicchetti making class, the prosecco experience, or even a delicious lunch or dinner in a local home in Venice or the Veneto, write to: info@foodyexperience.com. The Foody team will organize a wonderful Foody Experience for you!

Amal Alamuddin and George Clooney's wedding is not the only celebration happening around town this weekend. There are also numerous events to which the rest of us have either been invited or are at least welcome to attend!

Personally, I plan to attend the Festival Della Laguna Venezia events on Sant'Erasmo- My one chance to buy food grown on Sant'Erasmo while actually being on the island of Sant' Erasmo!- and Certosa tomorrow. And, while I'm hanging around on the northern side of the lagoon, I will also go to the Festambiente environmental festival on Certosa to enjoy music, food and arts.

Each of these festivals has too many events for me to list them all, and we all have our own preferences for things to do, so check out the schedules here and pick the ones that sound best to you!:

That's all! It may be a little quiet around here as I fully intend to party it up as far away from the paparazzi as possible. But, I do hope to return with more knowledge about the northern lagoon to share. ;-)